Air traffic controller cognitive processes are a limiting factor in providing safe
and efficient flow of traffic. Therefore, there has been work in understanding the
factors that drive controllers decision-making processes. Prior work has identified that the airspace structure, defined by the reference elements, procedural elements and pattern elements of the traffic, is important for abstraction and management of the traffic. This work explores in more detail this relationship between airspace structure and air traffic controller management techniques.
This work looks at the current National Airspace System (NAS) and identifies
different types of high altitude sectors, based on metrics that are likely to correlate with
tasks that controllers have to perform. Variations of structural patterns, such as flows and
critical points were also observed. These patterns were then related to groupings by
origins and destinations of the traffic. Deeper pilot-controller voice communication
analysis indicated that groupings by flight plan received consistent and repeatable
sequences of commands, which were identified as techniques. These repeated
modifications generated patterns in the traffic, which were naturally associated with the
standard flight plan groupings and their techniques.
The identified relationship between flight plan groupings and management
techniques helps to validate the grouping structure-base abstraction introduced by Histon
and Hansman (2008). This motivates the adoption of a grouping-focused analysis of
traffic structures on the investigation of how new technologies, procedures and concepts
of operations will impact the way controllers manage the traffic. Consideration of such
mutual effects between structure and controllers' cognitive processes should provide a
better foundation for training and for engineering decisions that include a human-centered
perspective.

en_US

dc.description.sponsorship

This work was financially supported by FAA grant 06-G-006 and NASA Cooperative
Agreement NN06CN23A. Anton Koros and Eddie Sierra were the technical sponsors and provided valuable feedback and assistance.

en_US

dc.relation.ispartofseries

ICAT;2012-01

dc.rights

An error occurred on the license name.

en

dc.rights.uri

An error occurred getting the license - uri.

en

dc.subject

Air Traffic Control

en_US

dc.subject

Air Transportation

en_US

dc.subject

National Air Space

en_US

dc.title

Analysis of Airspace Traffic Structure and Air Traffic Control Techniques